1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in personnel carrying devices and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a personnel carrier for propelling a person through a pipeline under his own control.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the pipeline construction industry, and particularly in the construction of water lines, and the like, it is common practice to construct a length of the pipeline on the surface of the ground prior to laying the length of the line in a ditch and covering it up. This normally comprises welding of a plurality of pipe sections in end to end relation to provide the desired length for the preassembled pipeline section. When the individual sections of pipe have been welded together, the interior thereof is usually coated with a suitable protective coating material. The individual pipe sections are frequently internally coated at the steel fabrication plant, but the interior portions of the weld at each pipe joint must also be coated subsequent to the welding operation. The coating of the welded pipe sections prior to disposition thereof in the ditch for connection with the previously laid pipe is apparently not a great problem. However, when the new length of pipe is welded to the previously laid pipe, the internal portion of the newly welded pipe joint must be coated. Whereas there are presently available devices which may be "run" into the pipeline for applying the coating material to the welded joint, it is extremely important that the coating operation be efficient and thorough. Accordingly, it is very desirable to provide a manual inspection of the coating operation. Since the newly attached section of pipe is usually as much as eight hundred feet in length, it is somewhat difficult for a workman to reach the site of the pipe joints for inspecting the coating, or for actually performing the coating operation manually.